I was very impressed by the level and depth of training the firm invested in its new hires and how friendly and approachable everyone was.

My Work

I work as a buyer within Procurement and Contract Management, in the Corporate Services and Real Estate department of the Services division. My primary responsibility is to contract with vendors in order to procure goods and services on behalf of the firm. At a high level, my role includes researching the market place for vendors, undertaking competitive bids, negotiating with vendors and executing contracts.

As each project I work on is different from the last, my knowledge is continually expanding. In addition, a number of projects have provided me with opportunities to travel to Goldman Sachs offices in Bengaluru, Dubai, Hong Kong, New York, Paris and Tokyo. My experience here has shown that if you are good at what you do, you will be presented with numerous opportunities to expand your skill set and advance in your career.

My role is a mixture of both individual and team-based work. Typically, each project will involve a team of people from various divisions across the firm. However these projects also contain elements that must be completed individually.

My Day

I work on multiple projects at the same time, whether these are key sourcing activities or strategic initiatives. I am currently leading a project from a procurement and contract management perspective to set up a new team in Bengaluru. In relation to this project I have recently completed a two-month assignment in India – a learning experience both professionally and personally. I am also the lead buyer for a multimillion dollar project to source a vendor to supply a number of Wellness services to the firm.

The challenges in my role are numerous and change depending on the specific project. They typically include successfully managing multiple projects, balancing competing priorities and negotiating complex contracts.

One element of my job that I find particularly rewarding is the opportunity to see the tangible results of my work and the subsequent benefits to the firm. For example, I was very heavily involved in procurement for the firm’s new Dubai and Russian offices. It is rewarding to see these offices up and running.

My Path

I applied for a role at Goldman Sachs following a campus recruitment initiative during my penultimate year at university. I interviewed with a number of firms and was offered several other positions, however ultimately I decided that Goldman Sachs was the right place for me to begin my career.

My first day at the firm took place in New York, where I joined the graduate training programme with literally hundreds of other new starters! I was very impressed by the level and depth of training the firm invested in its new hires and how friendly and approachable everyone was.

Myself

Honestly, I’d have to say that five years ago, I wouldn’t have thought I’d be working here. One of the reasons that I took the job with Goldman Sachs was that, at the time of leaving university, I was not 100% sure of what I wanted to specialise in.

The position at the firm provided me with the opportunity to rotate within a number of different teams, to understand their work and build a network of contacts prior to moving into an area of specialisation full time. I have now been at the firm for over four years and have not looked back since.

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